Prison Rape Elimination Act

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 with unanimous support from both major political parties in the United States Congress. The purpose of the act was to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in federal, state, and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations, and funding to protect individuals from prison rape” (Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003).

Zero Tolerance
The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office mandates a zero-tolerance policy towards any type of sexual misconduct, sexual contact, sexual abuse and sexual harassment toward any inmate(s). The Roanoke Sheriff’s Office will aggressively pursue any allegations and suspicions of sexual misconduct, up to and including prosecution under Virginia Code 18.2-67.4 (1999 revised). All credible allegations of forcible sexual assault will be reported to the Sex Offenses Unit of the Roanoke City Police Department.

Reporting Allegations
Inmates are encouraged to report any allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse to a Roanoke Sheriff's Office employee. Inmates may also use the hot-line number that is provided to them in their inmate handbooks to make an allegation. If inmates do not feel comfortable making a report to an employee, they may have a friend or family member report the allegation of sexual misconduct or abuse following the steps that are located on the How to Make a Complaint page.

Inmates are only encouraged to make these allegations in good faith. Inmates making false allegations of sexual assault and misconduct will result in disciplinary action, up to and including criminal prosecution and civil actions.